This invention relates to hand tools, such as open ended wrenches, sockets and screw drivers. More specifically, this invention relates to hand tools utilized to repair and adjust toilet components, specifically the attachment of toilet seats to the bowl, and removal of the seat from the bowl.
Anyone who has attempted to adjust a toilet seat by either tightening or loosening the fasteners which secure the seat to the bowl has no doubt experienced frustration. In the most common installation, the back of the toilet is adjacent to a wall. Thus, in order to manipulate the fasteners, one must often “hug” the bowl by reaching around it. The standard toilet seat mounting is relatively simple. A metal or plastic bolt goes through or integral to the hinge of the seat. The bolt may be concealed by a cover member. Once the cover over the bolt is opened, access is provided to a slotted bolt. Unfortunately, having access usually does not mean that the bolt is removed by simply unscrewing it, Under the currently known practice, the nut underneath the lip of the toilet bowl is normally retained by hand or with hand or pliers, and a screwdriver is utilized to try to unscrew the bolt.
With most seat fasteners, one portion of the fastener, usually the nut member, must be retained either by hand or with a tool while the other portion is rotated. This can be difficult and frustrating. The fasteners are often made of plastic materials and can be damaged from the prior use of tools which might break or distort the sides of the nut member. Such damage can make it difficult to obtain a secure attachment to the fastener. Likewise, given the damp environment, metallic hardware may rust and become very difficult to remove. To further complicate the process, several different types of nuts are utilized for securing the seat to the bowel. The present inventor is aware of five major different types of nuts which are utilized for this purpose, each one requiring a different type of tool, or size of tool, to fit. Failure to use the correct tool causes damage to the nut, resulting in the problem described above.